University of Rochester Sesquicentennial: Achievements

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Notable Achievements
The University of Rochester's first 150 years.

(University Public Relations)

Steven Chu

•Steven Chu '70, won a share of the 1997 Nobel Prize in physics for his work using lasers to create the coldest conditions in the universe in order to bring atoms to a near standstill.

•Rochester researchers were the first to synthesize morphine in the laboratory, ensuring the medical community a reliable source of the drug. The work also paved the way for the development of other synthetic painkillers and anesthetics, and ushered in a "golden era" of organic synthesis.

•University research laid the groundwork for the radiation treatment of human cancers, which is now used in more than 80 percent of cancer cases.

•More Rochester scientists have won the highest award of the Optical Society of America, the Frederic Ives Medal, than members of any other educational institution in the United States.

•Rochester faculty have created a curriculum that is distinctive among those of American universities in respecting undergraduate students as individual learners who can make their own curricular choices while taking full advantage of the character of a research university.

The University of Rochester is one of only 29 private universities in the United States designated Research I by the Carnegie Foundation, the organization's highest category.

•Rochester researchers were first to administer lung surfactant to premature infants, dramatically improving their survival rates. Surfactants are now used around the world.

•Rochester research paved the way for the modern cancer treatment of hyperthermia, which is now delivered by microwaves. Rochester scientists were the first to show that elevating body temperature is an effective treatment against some tumors.

•Rochester computer scientists pioneered what is known as "active vision," which has had a profound effect on computer vision research internationally. Researchers using this approach take inspiration from biological vision systems, simplifying computer vision dramatically.

•Rochester political scientists invented a way to analyze the distribution of opinion and influence to predict probable political outcomes with great accuracy.

•The Simon Graduate School of Business Administration pioneered the development of applications of economics to the study of business. This distinctive approach, which is a key differentiating feature of a Simon School M.B.A., focuses on the incentives and rewards that motivate human behavior in organizations operating in free markets.

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Notable Achievements The University of Rochester's first 150 years.

Notable Achievements
The University of Rochester's first 150 years.